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The rain has been falling for the last two days and it is chilly here in Memphis...

Dang, it is even cold in my new cubical. I actually worked all day yesterday with my coat on! i am right under one of those ceiling vents and the air blows down on me. I am going to be climbing up there and redirecting the air-flow with some intelligent usage of tape and cardboard in the next day or so...

OK, I have to say we are moving backward very quickly here folks...check out this story:

An airline passenger forced to cover his T-shirt because it displayed Arabic script has been awarded $240,000 in compensation.

Raed Jarrar received the pay out last Friday from two US Transportation Security Authority officials and from JetBlue Airways following the August 2006 incident at New York's JFK Airport, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced.

"The outcome of this case is a victory for free speech and a blow to the discriminatory practice of racial profiling," said Aden Fine, a lawyer with ACLU.

Jarrar, a US resident, was apprehended as he waited to board a JetBlue flight from New York to Oakland, California, and told to remove his shirt, which had written on it in Arabic: "We will not be silent."

He was told other passengers felt uncomfortable because an Arabic-inscribed T-shirt in an airport was like "wearing a T-shirt at a bank stating, I am a robber,'" the ACLU said.

Jarrar eventually agreed to cover his shirt with another provided by JetBlue. He was allowed aboard but his seat was changed from the front to the back of the aircraft.

OK, I have some questions here.

Why, in this day and age does one wear a t-shirt like that while traveling? You have to know that it is going to attract attention and could cause you delays. Is that right and proper? Heck-a-doodle NO...but was it right and proper when my hair was down the middle of my back and a cop would stop me for questioning for no other reason?

HECK-A-DOODLE NO! But I also did not run to the ACLU to sue.

Why does a t-shirt like this cause so much attention? The slogan on the t-shirt "We will not be silent" was written in English and Arabic. Folks, this is the slogan of The White Rose, a non-violent anti-Nazi group that fought the regime of Hitler through the use of leaflets distributed in Munich. The six members of the group were eventually arrested by the SS and beheaded. But how many would know that? Why is even the Arabic language now making people nervous?

Is this worth $240,000.00????????? This country of ours is so law-suit crazy and it is totally out of control. How can any jury award that kind of money?

Look, as far as I am concerned, Mr. Jarrar is as responsible for starting this mess as the T.S.A. agent and the JetBlue employees who blew this whole thing out of proportion.

I mean seriously folks, I own at least 100 different t-shirts that I wear in rotation, but I think about where I will be before putting on the few that could be considered 'controversial'.

The TSA agent's comment that Jarrar wearing this shirt to travel would be like "wearing a T-shirt at a bank stating, I am a robber,'" was poo-poo'ed by the ACLU lawyers. Well, guess what Perry Mason? I think that is pretty damn accurate.

Would you have thought him more accurate if he had said that wearing the t-shirt to travel was like "wearing a t-shirt into a Mosque that says "We Will never Forget"?

When are we going to learn that all Muslims are NOT terrorists and that those of Arabic descent who are citizens of the USA have all the same rights as any other citizen?

Also, when will people learn that freedom of speech does not give you the right to slander others or cause others to feel their safety is being threatened?

Two words kiddies....COMMON SENSE. You do not stick your hand into the lion's cage at the zoo to tease the big furry guy. BUT, if you do and the lion rips your arm off at the shoulder, you DO NOT GET TO SUE!

Mr. Jarrar, next time, leave the damn shirt packed in your bag...I can not believe you looked in the mirror that day and said "yeah, cool shirt to travel in"...but if you did, you are as big an a** as the jury that gave you the cash.

Why do I get the feeling this gentleman knew EXACTLY what he was doing that day?

1989...The Rolling Stones were in a conundrum...For the last six years, the band had a ton of turmoil...Mick Jagger had begun to release solo albums and he and Keith Richards were not seeing eye to eye.

Then they went into the studio again and put aside their differences to record STEEL WHEELS. It marked a return to the basic Stone Sound and heralded the return to the road for the band as they put on their largest concert tour to date.

The album is also the last studio album on which Bill Wyman appears.

This is one of my favorite songs from the album. It could be said that it is autobiographical based upon the band's troubles...

I'm with you on the lawsuit thing! I still can't believe some idiot got tons of money for spilling hot coffee on herself!

As for the shirt - yeah - probably not a good idea but was it really so inflammatory? a small saying

Personally I think many people would have been upset if the shirt said 'I love America' - as long as it was in 'terrorist language'

Maybe he did do it intentionally. Or maybe he just had a brain fart - as I did once when I realized I was wearing a T-shirt that said 'Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke' and I was picking up my niece at Catholic school

I think America - in this case Jet Blue most of all - needs to stop having knee jerk reactions to everything and has to stop the '9/11 gives me the right to be frightened and therefore enraged' crap.

We're just about the only country on the planet that doesn't deal with terror on a daily, real basis yet we are the ones who carry on about it the most and use it as an excuse for all kinds of moronic behavior

Since 9/11 the atmosphere in an airport and on planes is such that we all take everything more seriously when we fly. It is understandable given the state of the world we live in. This case was just stupid. Did they check out the origin of what the words on the T-shirt really meant? No. Did he "think" before he wore it to the airport? No.Should he have been awarded the money? No.

But there has to be some common sense also on the side of caution (not in this case) Last week an entire Muslim family had to be taken off an airplane because of their "conversation" aboard....and on and on. I don't know if there's litigation pending but I wouldn't be surprised. Unfortunately, because of a growing faction of hate-filled extremists and the press they receive AND the history we've seen unfold since 9/11....I don't know, Vinny.

Erring on the side of caution is better than another exploding plane. Apologies can come later.

We don't want security to be lessened because we might offend someone's sensibilities. Do we? How can we do that in this day and age?

And that's the Queen's humble opinion. Remind me not to wear my Latin "Dona nobis pacem" shirt to the airport. Things are OUT of control.

What about his being sent to the back of the bus, er, I mean, the plane AFTER removing the "offensive" t-shirt?

Really, in what way was this t-shirt a risk?

I wonder if someone wearing a t-shirt with a swastika (and not an anti-discrimination slogan - HA! the irony) would have been treated the same way.

My question remains... when you are treated like a second class citizen (is it because of his green card and race?) and become the victim of racial profiling (which is against the law)... what is the recourse?

I read the court papers. It was quite enlightening.

By the way, he was not awarded this sum by a jury but after a settlement.

Gosh. I am not of racial profiling. I don't this is ANYTHING like yelling "Fire" in a theatre. People, do WE give up all pur rights too? Or are we comfortable because "Arabs should know better". And Sgt Charlie said the f&^ker did it on purpose? Geez. The Bush adminstrations has got us all thinking upside down.

I don't blame the guy for making his point. The law suit and award was ridiculous to be sure.

Alot of this sounds like WWII. Nobody cared what Hitler did until he was coming after them.

You know, sometimes you listen to a song and it takes on a meaning just because of what it's "associated" with...

This talk of freedomAnd human rightsMeans bullying and private wars and chucking all the dust into our eyesAnd peasant peoplePoorer than dirtWho are caught in the crossfire with nothing to lose but their shirts

MIMI: Thanks for your thoughts. It is crazy. I am not for a police state here. I am not for removing freedom of speech...I am for common sense. The Muslim family was removed after people overheard comments that made them nervous. They made comments about their seats proximity to the engines. All passengers were removed, the plane searched and then all but the 9 were allowed to re-board. Right? Wrong? I think they should have been allowed to re-board IMHO.

ANNDI: I am not sure why they put him in the back of the plane. That was wrong, no doubt, but I am not sure it is $240,000 of wrong. Yes, I was incorrect in that it was a settlement and not a jury award. Unfortunately, if a jury got this the award might have been greater.I do love the openness of the comments and appreciate your take on this situation.

PATTI: I think there was wrong on both sides...LOL yup I rotate!

ANNDI: TY for pointing out Mags' success. It is why it is at the top of the post.

BUD: For the record, I also wondered if he did it purposely...I do think we all have to consider the words (whether written or spoken) we use today more than ever...and that is sad.

PHFRANKIE: It was obviously incendiary to the passengers who complained. Now are they overly sensitive to the situation? Probably. Were they wrong? I was not there to gain entry to that flight, so I can't answer that.

Vinny, according to the description you are definitely a GARNET! Great description and you're a sweetie pie too! :)

I agree that "When are we going to learn that all Muslims are NOT terrorists and that those of Arabic descent who are citizens of the USA have all the same rights as any other citizen?" That guy might have worn that T-shirt on purpose but I can't imagine the airline and people on the plane getting so silly and upset. It was a T-SHIRT for god's sake, not an AK47. He was a clean-shaven (except for the nicely trimmed beard) good-looking guy. Would they have acted the same way if he had had cursing on his shirt? Maybe, but the airline wouldn't have. It is ridiculous that the ACLU got him so much money but maybe we have to learn a lesson and learn to relax a little bit and realize that Muslims/Arabs are here to stay in this country and most are just like the rest of us! An Afghani family live across the street from me and I've gotten to know them a little (they are indeed very private people). Their kids are very friendly, go to public school and go trick or treating on Halloween. Who thinks they are planning to plant bombs in buildings in Manhattan? Anyway, Vinny, sorry I got on my soapbox.

Actually, the Isfan family were not allowed to reboard despite being cleared by the FBI. They flew on a different airline.

Nowhere in the court papers filed by the ACLU on behalf of Mr Jarrar was a specific amount requested.

Maybe if your country fined officials and companies that engaged in such hateful behaviour or sent them to sensitivity training and gave them comunity service as a penance and there was an appropriate channel for someone to ensure their rights would be respected you wouldn't find "frivolous" lawsuits.

I do know that Mr Jarrar has stated that he made a donation to the United Nation’s Relief and Works Agency AFTER having received his settlement.

Ironically, 4 people from the organisation (The Critical Voice - an anti war movement) that produces and sells (for donations only) the t-shirts bought tickets for a flight to Washington, wore the SAME t-shirt and did so without problems... interesting.

Saying "he asked for it" and should have censored himself because he was wearing that "incendiary" shirt is like saying a woman asked to be sexually harrassed or worse, raped because she was wearing a short hoochie mama skirt.

And if he "did it on purpose", it says so much more that such a guarantee of mistreatment by individuals and officials in America was perceived and accurate.

MARY: Me=Garnet ... I totally agree that we need to realize that just because a person is different than us, it does not make them bad.Look, every nationality that come to America finds it difficult in the beginning. My relatives found discrimination when they arrived...more recently, Latin Americans were those discriminated against, then Asians...now Muslims...is it right? NO.Please never regret getting on your soapbox here.

ANNDI: I said that in my comment to Mimi. So, in Canada this never happens? Why only in 'your country'?This is happening all over the world right now. it is just easier to sue and get money here in the USA.I do find it interesting that four people wore the same shirt and had no problems...I do not think that the shirt/rape reference is accurate at all.Women wearing that kind of outfit were not responsible for attacks on innocent folks.Look, right or wrong, everyone is nervous about terror attacks today. Lessening your profile while in public is not a bad idea.to do it 'on purpose' to make a point is ridiculous and shoud not result in your gaining financial rewards.I said from the beginning he was not smart to wear the shirt and the JetBlue employees over-reacted. But not to the tune of $240,000.00.I also hate discrimination...I also hate those who purposely inflame the masses to make a point.

This incident didn't happen somewhere else, it happened at JFK.I never said discrimination doesn't happen in Canada.

In December of this year, we will mark the 20th anniversary of the day 14 women were targeted due to gender at the Polytechnique in Montreal. It still shakes me to my core.

People have to stop associating all Arabs with the terrorists or they will have won. That's their game... and if a t-shirt written in Arabic is enough to send people over the edge and trespass on the very foundations of a free society, I expect Bin Laden is quite pleased with himself and gets to chuckle in his beard.

The system allows lawsuits for monetary gain of that magnitude. Maybe you should lobby your representatives to see that changed.

I'm just more outraged at the discrimination than at the financial award. The part of the lawsuit that asked for the practices at JetBlue to change was never mentioned in the press or in any of the comments... just the money. Hopefully, they have received enough bad publicity from this that they will think twice before treating someone in that manner because it may seem like a large amount of money, but it's merely a slap on the wrist for a big company.

I think Mr Jarrar walked the walk and didn't let himself be trampled on, he used the only recourse that was out there.

Vin - 'lessening your profile in public is not a bad idea' - I don't think, since I feel I know you, that you really mean that the way it sounds.

Should black people walking in all white neighborhoods wear hoods? or shave their Afros (well that's from the 70s)- I don't know - is there a way to walk white maybe. so as not to make anyone think they don't belong there.

Maybe a Hasidic Jew should disguise himself - after all Isreal attacks Arab Nations and an Arab here might see him and become frightened and then there could be trouble.

12 people attacked the twin towers and most of them were from our dear friend in peace Saudi Arabia.

What would be next? If you have an accent maybe you shouldn't speak in public. My grandmother was terrorized by people when she first came to the US once they heard the Yiddish lilt to her Russian accent. Unless I was with her she almost never spoke in public.

If wearing a shirt or discussing where your seat is can enflame the masses then the masses are bigger morons than I already think they are.

ANNDI: As we have discussed off-line, I think we are more on the same page as not. Our difference is that i just think common sense should take over. I think everyone needs to think about their wardrobe depending upon the situation. Whether it be Mr. Jarrar wearing a shirt such as his while traveling or Dianne wearing a t-shirt that says "FTITCTAJ" to a Catholic school.

DIANNE: I love the back and forth here. That is always an underlying thought when I post these stories...to start a discussion.Your examples are interesting because they are all from our past (and unfortunately from our present also)...the black walking in a white neighborhood was going to get harassed. Turn it around to a white walking in a black neighborhood. Same thing - they would be hassled.today? It still happens.I did equate the language thing in an earlier comment talking about my ancestors when they came over and were treated poorly. They were "Greasers" and "Wops"...and they talked funny.They moved on...your grandmother went through it also...we adapted...we became Americans...and then 'we' turned around and harassed the next ethnic group that moved in. Unfortunately sometimes the masses are enflamed and the only thing to do is to try and calm the anger and also speak to the person/group that enflames them and see if you can change the situation that caused it. If it is as simple as changing a t-shirt, isn't that easier than creating mass-hysteria?

After the Okla. City bombing was there any expectation of clean shaven white boys to maintain a low profile? were pick-up trucks sporting American and Confederate regalia suddenly suspect and pulled over?

and the reasoning would be? well "they" "belong" here don't they. so McVeigh and all the crazies who supported him were anomalies. and when his supporters spoke out we were supposed to be OK with that because of freedom of speech - which I was by the way.

but people with NO ties to terror other than their perceived country of origin or religion should be suspect?

Mimi said something about err on the side of safety and apologize later - well who decides that? and based on what?

my (new) home state is still reeling from the tension caused by racial profiling on the turnpike and parkway. and innocent people died. and all because someone decided they knew who was dangerous based on their own f'd up perceptions.

this country needs to get serious about security. as in our ports. freight handlers. water sources and power plants. mass transportation.

but instead mountains are made out of shoes and mouthwash. and now T-shirts.

DIANNE: First off...did you not see the sign when you came in? "Pain In The A**es Welcome" !!!!!!

I am not sure there was an expectation, but I do remember there being a difference in the way these 'clean shaven white boys with trucks' were looked at.

I LOVE our freedom of speech and believe we all need to allow those with dissenting views to speak their mind. BUT, again, I think that those who use freedom of speech to enflame are wrong and need to be stopped.

I totally agree about security at our ports, water sources and power plants. I think we are pretty good with mass transit...I rode NJ Transit before moving to Memphis and there were days handlers and dogs walked through the trains during my commute.

Having the media everywhere is what has caused this new 'voyeurism' in this country. Why do we have to know every detail of Jett Travolta's death? WHY???

I am not sure your comment 'sometimes the boat (or airplane) needs to be rocked' is something we want to promote, as this all began on an airplane some 7 years ago.I'm not sure the mass-hysteria will ever go away. We live in a different world now then when we grew up. Our security is most important and we need to be smart about it all.

SONGBIRD: mea culpa darling...sorry about skipping over you. The main point of my post, and the post title were more about the money settled upon than the case itself. I reassert that I feel Mr Jarrar should have used more common sense while traveling and JetBlue should use more common sense when dealing with a situation such as this.

ANNDI: People complained...I never said his intent was to enflame...all I said was it DID enflameCommon sense while traveling today is about packing correctly, leaving your Swiss Army Knife home...not packing liquids in your carry-on...wearing shoes that can be removed easily as you go through security and not making stupid comments while in an airport.

And I was agreeing with you, dear friend. I think that some people, knowing that law suits are likely to get settled, are looking for ways to cash in, so they intentionally do things that might stir up a situation in order to receive a pay day.

I just love all you guys! We are all trying to be fair and tolerant and I just love that! Dianne, you hit the nail on the head - should Hasidim hide their beards, payos, etc., should white boys with close-cut haircuts stay at home? Anyway, people who PURPOSELY try to agitate other people are wrong but what can we do? Nothing if they aren't physically hurting anyone or breaking the law... We are after all a democracy. The price of democracy is great, right everybody? It wasn't right to throw that family off the plane and it wasn't right to make that kid wear something over his t-shirt. I would have been embarrassed if I had been on that plane. I HOPE I would have spoken up...

Actually, having liquids in containers less than 3 oz and in a plastic bag that can be checked separately at the security checkpoint and leaving the Swiss Army knife are respecting TSA/Transport Canada policy.

If you've spent as many hours as I have walking around airports, you know it's all about the comfort.

I will not accept or condone ignorance and prejudice under the guise of "I was traumatized by 9/11". Blaming him for the ignorance of the people who complained isn't acceptable.

Wowsers. Lots of comments on this topic! In my opinion, the airline totally overreacted and should have offered the man a sincere apology, along with a free trip anywhere the airline flew. I think it was ridiculous that they had to pay all that money, but I suppose that's what happens when you live in a litigious society.On the other paw, a little discretion can go a long way. After all, one would not go into a biker bar wearing a t-shirt that said "all bikers are mama's titty ninnies" now would one? LOL :P

SONGBIRD: SEE! I DID NOT FORGET YOU THIS TIME...I totally believe that. was it so in this case? We will never know.

MARY: The family incident might have been more justified than this one. But again, it might have been overblown. Unless we were there, we will never know.

ANNDI: I meant liquids over the 3oz rule..believe me I am in airports as often or more than most and I have seen people with large bottles of shampoo in their carry-ons who are clueless to the rules. Once again, I never blamed him only. I have siad he should have used common sense and I also said the airline and the TSA were out of line also.

Wow, fun to read the comments today. Frivilous lawsuits are insane, and the judges just need to put a stop to it. I will say, as far as the t-shirt...when I travel, I don't think I've EVER paid attention to what my shirt said - I think comfort, get dressed & go.

The crux of this was that the insurance company TSA wanted to make this go away, so they wanted to settle. that's all! Meribah has it right, an apology and free round trip would have been fine.

However, I wish there were some sort of decorum in dress for travel on a common carrier. Not like fully dressed up in the old days on a plane, but at least a polo shirt. i wear tees to bed or when I am grocery shopping, where that dress in off-putting...

Hey, thanks for the favorite album post you had! I am contributing, and am posting tonite.

It's the perfect storm of two of the most destructive forces in the world..political correctness and ambulance chasing lawyers.

If only the American people would storm the Bastille and force the Lesgislators to end the madness...but who runs the show..that's right politically correct lawyers so you guys are totally pooched.

Up here in Canada we had a whackjob from Toronto try to open the emergency exit at 30,000 feet on a return flight from dee islands mon..in court he said that he didn't understand why he was being charged...HELLO.

I can't wait to get on my flight to Mayheeko...hmm what should I wear...maybe my MARXIST LENNONIST T Shirt..it has a picture of Groucho and John but my guess is that somebody will take offense.

I guess we've forgotten that the terrorists on Sept 11 were dressed as casual businessmen or students. I can't think of an instance where a terrorist intent on blowing up a plane is going to wear his intentions blazoned across his t-shirt.

And I don't get where anyone can say they know that he intended to create a stir and intended to profit from any stir he created by putting on the shirt.

I don't agree that this was the same as yelling "fire" in a crowded theatre. The writing was not inflammatory. People objected to the language...as in anything written in the Arabic script is bad and to be feared.

And might I add one last thought, this time about money? If you smack somebody in his wallet, maybe he starts paying a bit more attention to his behavior. And if, as Anndi said, the gentelman donated a sum of his settlement, then I'd say that's money well spent. And perhaps it might just balance out the ledger for any who "know for a fact" that the man intended to stir up trouble and profit from it.

Wow, by the time I get here this has been debated quite a bit. Glad to see everyone can debate it without getting ugly.

Saying that I have to agree with Anndi. I think he had the right to wear the shirt. I don't agree with the yelling fire in the theater analogy, all he was wearing was a shirt with Arabic writing on it.

Now i do agree with you Bond that the money given him was outrageous.

Well coming in at the end here there really doesn't seem to be much more that I can say that hasn't already been said.

I respectfully disagree with you on this Vinny. And if you think about it what his shirt said is just as much a valid statement on America's reactionary attitude to ANYONE swarthy, let alone of Arab decent.

My family is Greek. Guess how many of US have been pulled aside? Ask me how many it happened to at the airport when they flew in for my grandfathers funeral.

I'd wear that shirt in a heartbeat. And yes it is worth 240k in my opinion as it has brought the matter to the press and to the public's attention. Common sense in the face of widespread public nonsense is not a viable option for me.

You may think the lawsuit was stupid and frivilous. I think the passengers "discomfort" was a load of horseshit hiding a healthy dose of bigotry. And God knows there is one thing one stick you can beat American's with to get our attention and that is money.

Reminds me of the dingaling girl a while back who wore (or rather, didn't wear) a revealing outfit and was asked to change or leave...sometimes you just have to use common sense! If you want to be outspoken, that's fine, but you have to have some sort of judgment on what's acceptable to the situation and what's not. For instance, there's certain things I wouldn't wear to work that I might wear to Wal-Mart...

I don't understand why so many people are so much more outraged by the lawsuit than the bigotry.

It's easy for all of white folk to sit back and be outraged and DEMAND sensitivity from those darkies because we don't get profiled because of our skin color or heritage.

My last name is the same last name of a pretty well known member of the IRA and known terrorist. Have I have had any trouble from TSA? Of course not.

Drive around town and look at all the inflammatory bumper stickers on the backs of the trucks driven by the good old boys. Things like "Kill them all and let God sort 'em out." Think they ever get pulled over for that? Hell no.

And, I would just like to point out that there are a lot of people in this comment thread to rant and rail against political correctness who seem to be demanding political correctness from this guy who wore the t-shirt.

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I got into blogging to express myself. It has led me to sharing my life, my passion for food, my fiction and my love of music.
Music On The Couch is a passion for me. Sharing "Musicians You Should Know" and helping those who appear on the show to grow their audience.